


How Many Languages Do You Speak, Anyway

by KuriNCIS (KuriKoer)



Series: Wake Up Call [5]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Language, Linguistics, M/M, Watching, bilingualism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-30
Updated: 2012-10-30
Packaged: 2017-11-17 09:10:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/549948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuriKoer/pseuds/KuriNCIS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ziva watches, Ziva thinks</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Many Languages Do You Speak, Anyway

**Author's Note:**

> _Quote, Faith (7x10):_  
>  Tony: How many languages do you speak, anyway?  
> Ziva: Including the language of love, ten.

She thinks almost entirely in English now.

She thinks of her friends in English, and she thinks of her day in English, and almost all her work-related terminology comes to her in English first. Habit.

She thinks about the place where she buys her lunch in English, and the list of foodstuffs on her grocery note is almost entirely in English. She even reads the daily newspapers from Israel in the English online version. Just sometimes, when she's not paying attention, when she thinks in feelings, or in idioms, or in phrases from childhood stories, then she catches herself translating consciously.

"Ten fingers I have, they can build anything..."

There are nursery rhymes counting fingers in almost every language. English has them. Chinese has them. They all have their little dances, and she thinks of laughing toddlers with tiny, chubby hands.

She doesn't remember the rest of the words. She just hums it to herself while she's cleaning her gun, fingers smudged with oil running on metal. Across from her desk, Tony's making faces in her direction, and slings rubber bands at McGee, except when Gibbs glances at him, and then he pretends to be deep at work. She's surprised sometimes at how much work he manages to actually do in between playing silly pranks and acting the stooge.

Stooge? Is that the right word?

Okay, so her English isn't perfect yet. Maybe it never will be. But it's good enough. She points the empty gun at Tony. 

"Stop torturing McGee," she says, narrowing her eyes.

He drops the rubber band he was aiming, and smirks directly at the barrel. "Why? You want in on the fun?"

"Ziva! Gun down," Gibbs barks. "DiNozzo, that report done?"

"In a minute, boss," Tony says, typing quickly. He has the appearance of being gross... no, that's not the word. Engrossed, she thinks. As if he never stopped working.

"It wasn't loaded," she says.

"I know," Gibbs says. There's a gentle note in his voice. Maybe it's aimed at Tony, maybe at her. She puts the gun away in the drawer. There's nothing to do at the moment; all her paperwork is finished except the parts she has to wait for. No new case.

Tony's printing out the report, leaning back in his chair, waiting for the machine to stop its chirping and gurgling and spit out the paper. She can almost see his brain turning, looking for something else to do. He doesn't handle being bored any better than she does.

McGee, now, that's another story. McGee could never be bored with a computer at hand. She doesn't know what, exactly, he's doing, but his fingers never rest and his forehead is bunched up in concentration. She's pretty sure it's not the right way to say it, but it's descriptive enough, and descriptive works. McGee is busy.

And Gibbs is.... Gibbs. He's typing slowly and reading fast and probably gets more work done than she wants to know. But he's also edgy, he doesn't like being cooped up any more than her and Tony. She probably wouldn't have noticed any difference in his behaviour if she wasn't looking for it.

But she looked. She's looking now. She wonders if Gibbs is different today than he was yesterday, or the day before that. If he's smiling more. More lenient on DiNozzo. Marginally. Imperceptibly.

She wonders if Gibbs is different today because he got lucky. She frowns and looks away, back to her computer screen. New email; just another memo. She scans through it, then deletes it. She can talk to and think about McGee and Tony in those terms, but not Gibbs, somehow. She participated in the gossip when he was dating Mann, and listened when Jenny was discussed by the water cooler; another American expression, because they were not even near the water cooler at the time. But she still feels awkward when Gibbs' love life is brought up. Not that it's been brought up lately. Dry spell, Tony called it. Then they had a whole discussion on the many meanings of the word spell. Letters, magic, time.

Still she can't help but wonder. Not exactly wonder, since she's pretty sure he did get lucky. After what she saw, it's hard to imagine anything else happening. If there's someone sitting in your lap, you are likely to get lucky.

Even if it's Jimmy Palmer.

Maybe even more so if it's Jimmy Palmer. Ziva tries not to think about it.

She remembers the last line in one of the verses of the nursery rhyme; 'I have round glasses on the tip of my nose', it says. You're supposed to make circles with thumb and forefinger and place them over your eyes...

"Agent David!"

Ziva startles. Gibbs' eyebrow speaks volumes.

"I sent you the files," McGee says, with a patient, puzzled tone, as if he's already said it before. More than once. Ziva cringes inwardly and checks her email again. Yup, the files are there, dinging happily. Now there's something to do.

She risks another glance at Gibbs. He gives her a smidgen of a smile, something amused but subtle. She wonders if he knows exactly what she's thinking.

-

In the next few days Ziva watches Gibbs intently. They're quiet days, which means everyone gets to go home in the evening, although it's still late evenings, and early mornings. Then two dead bodies are found, and everything is hectic, and both she and Gibbs finish the day at six in the morning. She barely manages to drive home, and even entertains the blasphemous thought of taking a taxi. She doesn't know if Gibbs went home, or anywhere else, but when she's back in the office in the early afternoon he's already there, looking alert as ever. His trash can is full of empty coffee cups, of course, but it's always full of empty coffee cups.

She keeps an eye out for subtle changes in behaviour. She thinks maybe he smiles just a tiny bit more, but it could be her imagination. He's as tough on them as ever, tough on her exactly the same way he is on the other two. She doesn't dare trail him when he goes to talk to Ducky down in autopsy, but she keeps a special eye out when they're on a crime scene and the ME is there with his assistant. She catches some glances between them, and maybe a few more smiles than usual on Jimmy's part, but nothing much more. Mostly they avoid each other, Jimmy looking anywhere but at Gibbs, Gibbs not standing too close to him. Ziva also doesn't miss a few nervous glances Jimmy directs _her_ way. So he knows she knows. And she knows he knows she knows. And Gibbs knows everything, as per usual.

It's easier to think they're fucking than to think of the equivalent in Hebrew. Somehow the English word is more detached, less wet. Maybe because on those rare occasions when she watches television, it's HBO.

-

Over the next month several things happen. Tony becomes suspicious that 'something' is going on with Gibbs. He doesn't name his particular suspicions, and Ziva, as a rule, doesn't volunteer information.

McGee notices that Tony is suspicious - it's impossible not to - and is sure Tony is only hinting at things to mess with his mind. Come to think of it, Ziva isn't sure that's not the case, at least in part.

Jimmy, who was already relaxed and, to some degree, a part of their team, in the way a puppy runs after a group of children - she's uncomfortable with that visual, but as long as he doesn't carry a gun, she can't consider him a part of anything she's a part of - well, Jimmy becomes nervous again, obviously tripping over his own feet and tongue whenever he faces any of Team Gibbs. Especially Gibbs, although in a very different way. It makes Tony suspect that something is up with Jimmy, too, but he doesn't press _that_ issue; it doesn't occur to him that the two are related.

"If the gremlin is dating someone he shouldn't, we'll all know about it in a week anyway," he says, confident. Ziva doesn't contradict him, although she does hint darkly that it really depends on _who_ , exactly, Jimmy is seeing. She can't bring herself to use the term 'dating'. The equivalent in her language is best equalled by the English 'going out', and she's pretty sure they're not. Going out much, that is.

Ducky is mildly irritated by Jimmy's lapse in behaviour, but he doesn't pay much attention to it, besides telling him off a couple of times. He's apparently busy with something of his own. Ziva overhears him telling Abby, "As long as he's not soiling every surface in my autopsy room, I have no reason to..."; Ziva doesn't quite catch what he says next, but it sounds a lot like 'no reason to torture him about it'.

One time, on a crime scene, in a field full of bees, Gibbs finds a moment alone with Jimmy, when the young man is approaching a panic attack. She wants to follow them behind the row of trees, but doesn't. She glances time and again, but sees nothing. They're only gone for two minutes, anyway. When they come back, Jimmy avoids eye contact with everyone. Even Ducky says nothing.

One time, and one time only, Gibbs shows up to work with a hickey high up on his neck. It's in the back, and there's a chance he didn't see it there in the morning, when he shaved. Tony narrows his eyes.

"Good time last night, boss?"

"Wasn't a good night for the petty officer down on Ducky's slab, DiNozzo," is the gruff answer, and Tony backs off.

Ziva doesn't dare say it to Gibbs' face, but she finds time later to whisper in Tony's ear, "Hopefully, Gibbs' good time didn't involve dead bodies."

She says it mostly to see the shock and horror on Tony's face. It's a very satisfying result.

-

Her expert opinion on the matter is that Gibbs can hide things very well, but a keen observer can tell, with some degree of accuracy, when he is and isn't seeing anyone. She expects him to demonstrate impatience and crankiness when Jimmy leaves for a four-day conference, smile less and snap more.

She's surprised when on the first day he seems more relaxed, not less. He even leans back in his chair. On the second day he's as mellow; there's some sawdust in his hair.

"Did some work on the boat first thing in the morning?", Tony can't stop himself from asking.

Gibbs gives him a look, which Ziva once heard someone refer to as 'the hairy eyeball'. She's strongly uncomfortable with the visual this phrase brings to her mind. But then Gibbs smiles a little and says, "Worked on it all night."

Tony is speechless for a moment at this forthcoming reply, and then finds his bearings. "Want another coffee, boss?"

Gibbs nods, serene, and Tony hurries to fetch the proffered refill.

On the third day a body is found. While taking photographs of the scene, Ziva listens to Ducky complaining about autopsy being a complete mess in the absence of his assistant.

"He rearranged everything, for the sake of efficiency. Efficiency!" Ducky huffs, "What good does it do if I can't find a thing? Honestly, I don't know sometimes where that young man's mind is."

"Didn't he show you where he put the stuff, Duck?", Gibbs asks, amused.

Ducky glares at him. "He just fetches what I ask for, usually," he says grudgingly.

"Just admit you miss him," Gibbs mutters quietly, hovering over the ME.

Ducky chuckles. "I've grown accustomed to his face," he quotes, with a twinkle in his eye.

Ziva thinks that for a moment, she sees something passing in Gibbs' eyes, something brief, and deep, and even scared, a word she doesn't normally associate with her boss. But that momentary glitch goes away and Gibbs straightens up, patting Ducky on the shoulder.

"You'll get him back soon enough," he says, low enough to barely be heard by Ziva, who is only a couple of meters away.

"Yes, of course," Ducky says, and spares Gibbs a smile. "Those conferences are important for one's career, networking and so on. You meet and greet so many of our profession only in these gatherings. After all, where else on a work day can you meet another medical examiner? I met some of the most fascinating members of the medical circles in conferences. I remember one, perhaps five years ago..."

"Uhuh," Gibbs says, uninterested, turning away from the body and the man crouching next to it. "Time of death?"

"Have some courtesy," Ducky admonishes, still with a smile, and then pulls out the liver probe. It makes a sickly wet sound. "Oh, six or seven hours, at least."

"Spatter of blood on the wall over there," Ziva remarks.

Ducky looks up. "Yes, he was probably shot there, and then managed to crawl over here... Can't have been comfortable, but I'm almost sure it was quick."

So is the case; they find the killer by early evening, and Ziva sticks around filling paperwork, allowing the others to run off. Gibbs stays, of course. She packs up shortly after ten.

"Are you coming?"

Gibbs shrugs. "I'll stay behind. Some more things to do."

She nods, slings the bag over her shoulder, and heads for the elevators.

-

The next day Gibbs is grumpier and grumpier; Tony is hurt and confused, Abby is grouchy by proxy, and McGee just lowers his head and waits for the storm to pass. Ziva consoles herself in the private knowledge that by tomorrow, it'll all be over. Tomorrow comes, a morning shines bright on the Yard, and Gibbs is even grumpier than before.

"What crawled up _his_ ass?", Tony grumbles quietly, after glancing around to make sure Gibbs is nowhere in sight. Ziva bites her lip hard so as not to answer.

She finds some free time when Gibbs disappears and slinks down to autopsy. Ducky and Jimmy are there, discussing the conference, apparently, and a mutual acquaintance.

"Hi," she says, halting in the doorway.

"Hey," Jimmy smiles brightly at her, and Ducky offers his greetings.

"Just wanted to say welcome back," she blurts.

"Thank you," Jimmy says, and if at all possible, his smile widens.

"Had fun?", she inquires.

"Oh yes," he says eagerly, "it was really interesting. Some of the lectures were..."

Ziva half-listens while trying to come up with a subtle way to ask him why Gibbs isn't happier. Where exactly he was the night before. She starts to wonder if she was wrong all along, if the thing she thought she saw was something else... No, it wasn't, couldn't have been. So maybe, she thinks, it was a one-time thing. A one night stand, which she always wondered about since you rarely _stand_ for it. And the rest of the month? Gibbs' behaviour could have been random, unrelated; Jimmy being nervous could be about something else, or about that one time she saw in the parking lot. Could it all have been in her imagination? That's not saying much for her detective skills, she thinks bitterly, and then something catches her attention.

"The flight was so bad, I just landed _exhausted_ ," Jimmy says. "Went right to bed and I swear, I slept for twelve hours."

"Ahh," she says, maybe a little too meaningfully, because Ducky looks at her funny. "Anyway, I'm glad to see you feel better now," she adds hurriedly. "I'd better go upstairs before Gibbs starts looking for me."

The mention of the name does cause Jimmy to swallow convulsively and look away for a moment, his expressive mouth losing the grin and curving down instead. She notes that, with some satisfaction. Not _entirely_ her imagination, then. Wait and see, she thinks, wait and see.

That evening, Gibbs leaves relatively early, that is, only an hour and a half after Tony and McGee do. She leaves the building shortly after them, but loiters in the parking lot until she sees Gibbs's car heading out. There are two figures in it.

Just to make sure, she walks over to where Jimmy parks his car.

It's still there.

Ziva doesn't laugh, but she nods to herself, satisfied. She whistles a happy old tune as she heads towards her car, ready to call it a night.

**Author's Note:**

> The song mentioned: "[I Have Ten Fingers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_w2wMTVfbY)"


End file.
